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8 05, 2026

What Your Insurance Quote Is *Really* Telling You | EP 34

2026-05-08T11:18:04-05:00May 8th, 2026|VREF Podcast|

Why Aircraft Coverage Is Becoming a Market Signal, Not Just a Cost Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft insurance used to feel like a fixed expense. You bought the airplane. You called your broker. You got coverage. You moved on. That world is changing. Insurance is no longer just protection. It is a capital-driven pricing system that reflects how the market sees your aircraft, your records, your maintenance, your [...]

28 04, 2026

Too Many People, Not Enough Closers: Why Aircraft Deals Are Getting Slower, Messier, and Harder to Finish | EP 33

2026-04-28T11:15:31-05:00April 28th, 2026|VREF Podcast|

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Aircraft transactions used to be simple. Buyer. Seller. Broker. Attorney. Escrow. Pre-buy. Now a single deal can involve brokers, support teams, transaction managers, in-house counsel, outside counsel, lenders, insurers, tax advisors, maintenance consultants, and pre-buy facilities. And somehow… deals are not getting easier. In this episode of The Truth About the Market, Jason breaks down how modern aircraft transactions became over-layered, over-managed, and harder [...]

22 04, 2026

When Markets Don’t Break… They Slow: Why Aviation Risk Is Now Showing Up in Time, Not Price | EP 32

2026-04-22T13:25:47-05:00April 22nd, 2026|VREF Podcast|

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF The first shock is always obvious. Fuel moves. Rates stay high. Headlines hit. Everyone reacts. But markets don’t actually change in the moment of impact. They change in how people respond to it. In this episode of The Truth About the Market, Jason breaks down what’s happening now — the second wave of market stress. Not panic. Not collapse. But something far more dangerous: a slow erosion of [...]

8 04, 2026

EPISODE 31 — The Asking Price Lie: Why Listed Aircraft Values Mean Far Less Than People Think

2026-04-08T15:16:27-05:00April 8th, 2026|VREF Podcast|

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF In aviation, one of the most trusted numbers is often the least reliable. It shows up in listings, broker conversations, tax disputes, financing discussions, and seller expectations. It gets forwarded, quoted, screenshotted, and repeated until it starts to feel like fact. But it isn’t. In this episode of The Truth About the Market, Jason breaks down one of the most persistent misconceptions in aircraft [...]

7 04, 2026

Winners, Survivors & Orphans: How the Piston Fleet Will Evolve

2026-04-08T11:22:50-05:00April 7th, 2026|Educational|

For decades, the general aviation market operated on a fairly simple depreciation curve. An aircraft was built, it aged, its value dropped, and eventually, it bottomed out at a price point determined by its utility and remaining engine life. If it flew, it had value. That era is ending. As we move deeper into the transition away from 100 Low Lead (100LL) fuel and face rising insurance premiums, maintenance costs, and hangar shortages, the market is no longer [...]

2 04, 2026

When Is Your Aircraft Ready for Part-Out?

2026-04-07T12:32:12-05:00April 2nd, 2026|Educational|

Aircraft ownership is a game of managing lifecycles. For years, an aircraft serves as a powerful transportation platform and a valuable productivity tool. But no asset flies forever. Over time, operating economics erode, maintenance costs escalate, and market liquidity tightens. Eventually, every aircraft crosses an invisible but critical line where it stops being worth more as a flying machine and starts being worth more in pieces. The decision to part out an aircraft is never arbitrary, and it [...]

31 03, 2026

High Compression, High Stakes: Which Engines Are Most at Risk?

2026-03-31T13:15:45-05:00March 31st, 2026|Educational|

The phrase "unleaded transition" sounds clean and modern. It suggests progress. But for a specific segment of the general aviation fleet, it sounds more like an expensive engineering problem. While the FAA and industry groups frame the move away from 100 Low Lead (100LL) as a manageable inevitability, the physics of combustion tell a sharper story. Not all piston engines are created equal. The vast majority of the fleet—the low-compression, naturally aspirated engines found in Skyhawks and Cherokees—will [...]

30 03, 2026

EPISODE 30 | The Low-Time Lie: Why “Hangar Queen” Might Be the Most Dangerous Phrase in Aircraft Shopping

2026-03-30T14:12:45-05:00March 30th, 2026|VREF Podcast|

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF “Low total time” sounds like a selling point. In aviation, it often is. It shows up in listings, broker calls, and buyer wish lists as if those three words settle the question of quality before the airplane is even inspected. But strip away the assumption, and what’s left is a far less comforting truth: airplanes are not preserved by sitting still. They are preserved [...]

26 03, 2026

The 7 Mistakes That Cost Aircraft Buyers Millions

2026-03-26T13:30:27-05:00March 26th, 2026|Educational|

You don’t find out whether you made a good aircraft purchase when you buy it. You find out when you try to sell it. That is when obsolescence shows up, liquidity disappears, and the structural mistakes you made years ago finally come to collect. Most of these mistakes are not dramatic. They are quiet, paper-based errors that destroy millions in value without the owner even realizing it. Successful people—doctors, entrepreneurs, CEOs—are often the most at risk. They are [...]

24 03, 2026

EPISODE 29 | The Comps Illusion: Why Aircraft Sales Data Isn’t What You Think It Is

2026-04-07T12:41:31-05:00March 24th, 2026|VREF Podcast|

Podcast: The Truth About the Market Host: Jason Zilberbrand, President of VREF Most people in aviation believe they understand the market. They look at comps They reference recent sales They trust the numbers But what if those numbers aren’t as real as they seem? In this episode of The Truth About the Market, Jason pulls back the curtain on one of the most widely accepted—and least questioned—foundations of aircraft valuation: comparable sales data. Because in aviation, [...]

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